The Portland daily press., 1887-05-28
SCENES IN INDIAN TERRITORY.
Rich Lands and Rich indians.--An
Effective ProhIbItory Law-whlte
Men who Marry squaws and For
tunes.
New York TImes.l


Men who Marry squaws and For
tunes.
New York TImes.l
Few white men pass through the Indian
Territory without casting covetous glances
here and there. 1t is desirable lot OF land
the most Of it-of course, but not more so
than many other parts Of the Union, but it Is
the property Of the Indian. and white men
who will admit that the Indian has property
rights are scarce and do not linger long in
the Indian Territory. The Indian who lives
and thriyes within its borders would be safer
in his rights il trains were compelled to pass
through the territory at night. Then the
beauty Of its rolling and grass covered pra-
ries, Of its wooded hills that hide fortunes
waiting for the digger, and its rich bottoms
would be hidden from the covetous eye Of
the greedy white. As it is, there are prob
ably more white men in the Territory than
even the Indians are aware of-and little es-
capes them, stolid and non-observant as they
usually seem but are not. A majority Of
them are quite keen enough 10 drive a sharp
bargain with the white invader. They have
paid for their experience-most Of them-and
er through contact with the whites. From
the latter they have gained knowledge they
would never have obtained IL left to them
selves, so that on the whole perhaps the
Indian hasn't lost much in his dealings with
the pale face.
There are Indians of all colors in the Ter
ritory. Some are Of the standard Indian
color, rich copper others are of a brassy
shade and these are half breeds, but there are
half-breeds also whose color Is darker than
that of full-blooded Indian; in such there
Is negro blood. Before the war of the rebell-
ion and subsequent to it many Of the Indians
owned slaves and cotton plantations worked
by them. There are some fine cotton planta-
lions to-day near Eufaula, and many Of the
negroes who work on them and
cotton there before and during the
war, and after II, too, for their food.
Some OF the Indian slave owners objected
strenuously to giving the colored men their
freedom, and are not satisfied yet that they
received Justice in the transaction, particu-
larry as 1t seemed to be matter Of no con-
sequence to the freedman. The latter has
learned all about his rights since that time
and insists upon getting them.
In addition to the five so-called civilized
nations-the Cher0kees, Ch0ctaws, Chicka-
saws, Seminoles, Creeks-there are a num-
Der Of remnants of tribes in the Territory
In all there are about 65,000. Gov. Perry
man, Of the Creek Nation, is a very intelli-
gent Indian. His complexion is very dark,
and he is supposed to have negro blood in
his veins. He is Of stout build and medium
height. lie dresses in civilized garb, and
has couple of daughters who are handsome
and misunderstanding enough to attract
attention anywhere. Coy Perryman can
both read and write. Bushy Head, the prin-
cipal chief of the Cherokees, Is an intelligent
half-breed. One OF the ancestors was white.
Gov. Nc. Curtin, Of the Choctaws, is tall and
raw-boned.
Each nation has Government not unlike
that OF State. They have a Council that
might be compared to O State Legislature.
This Council makes the laws, with the Gov
ern0r's approval The Council can pass
bill over his veto by two-thirds vote. Each
nation.has number Of schools, and these
are reasonably well attended, though
wealthy Indians generally send their child
rem to the North for an education. There
are two schools at Muskogee, and the Greek
Nation has an academy at Tishimunga. A
railroad station at train time has all the at
traction for an lndian-the male-that 1t has
for whites. Indian women, however, do not
rush to see train come in or go out and
stare at the passengers. Only white women
do that. they say. Many Of the Indian wo-
men who have white blood in them are hand
some and clever, and not a few are married
to white men.
The white man who marriss an Indian
woman Of the Territory becomes an Indian
so far as his rights and privileges are con-
cerned He can fence In all the land he
wants, unless he wants too much. IL he
cupied land in the Territory his Indian
neighbors will not call upon him and argue
the point. They simply lieut. the fence down.
he can, however, fence in a section-640
acres-and no one Is allowed to settle on or
s use the S,i land for quarter Of mile distant
dians-the men who marry as a business
ENTHUSIASTICALLY engage in cattle raising,
and while they keep their herds in the Ter
rlt0ry they keep themselves in Texas or
Kansas. Not all Of them, however, for in
addition to the shiftless white Indians there
are several Of the thrifty go-ahead kind who
make their homes where they have made
their money.
Jim McAllister Is a striking example Of
this class. He is supposed to be worth $780,
600, and he lives in the town that ibears his
name. Seventeen years ago McAlister en-
tered the Territory driving mule team. He
carried all his property on his back. The
Territory suited him. He saw
Chickasaw squaw who suited him also. He
married her and became an Indian. In
knocking about the Territory he discovered
coal, or he made the acquaintance Of an In
dian who had made the discovery. The dis
coverer of coal gets a royalty on every ton
that Is mined on mile square of territory.
There are about 16 Indians in the Territory
who are paid such royalty, and McAlister
Is one Of them. He reaps rich harvest on
his royalty alone.
Several full-blooded Indians are also worth
their pile. Frank Colbert, who lives at Col
bert Station, eight miles north of Denison,
posed to be worth from $4,000 to $500, 600.
Nail, Choctaw, owns 1900 head of cattle.
Others are worth sums ranging from $685. 900
to 100000 None of the principal chiefs or
governors are wealthy.
Many Indian families. bear names not
owned by the ancestors who roamed the for
ests in the time of Christopher Columbus.
There are 0'Tooles, Flanigans, Shaugh-
nessys, and Murphys among full-blooled
Indians. These names were given to them
by the Canadian trappers of the Hudson
Bay Company, the same men who named
the Canadian river that runs lengthwise
through the territory. Occasionally an In
dian named O'Toole will be found who en-
ploys an Irish renter" who bears the same
name. The Irish O'Toole will work the land
owned by the Indian 0'Towle, and for the
privilege will give the landowner third OF
the crop. Few of the Indians DO manual
labor, fact which accounts Tor the large
number of renters in the Territory. All ties
used by the railroads that run through the
Territory are furnished by the Indians, who
charge a royalty of 10 cents per tie. Every
thing sold in the Territory pays a royalty to
the nation in whose Territory the sale was
made, and the money is spent for school pur-
poses The uncultivated land belongs to the
nations but not to individuals. Land cannot
be sold by person who desires to leave the
Territory. Only the improvements on it can
be disposed of. All the nations raise cotton
and corn except the Cherokees, who are
north of the cotton belt.
The desperadoes of adjoining States often
make the Indian Territory temporary
abiding place. Even If they were allowed to
do SO, these characters awouldn't remain in
the Territory long. The Southwestern des-
perado grows lonesome without his whiskey,
and liquor Is not sold or allowed in the Ter
ritory. When any liquor is found within the
limits the jug is broken and a spot bare OF
grass tells the tale. Five gallons of run
were discovered in McAllister few days
ago by a Marshal He took the eorks out OF
10 half-gallon jugs and stood the latter on
the small end until the contents had killed
all the animal and vegetable life in the inn
mediate vicinity.
Working the Suez Canal.
saturday Reyiewl